Safety attachment for billfolds or like articles



E. KRAUSE Aug. 30, 1949.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR BILLFOLDS OR LIKE ARTICLES Filed Nov. 20, 1946 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR, ERICK KHAUSE ATTORNEY Aug. 30, 1949. E. KRAUSE2,480,484

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR BILLFOLDS OR LIKE ARTICLES Filed Nov.. 20, 1946ZSheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. ERICK KRA USE ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 30,1949 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE SAFETY A'r'rAorrMENrFon BILL'roLDs or.LIKE ARTICLES Erick Krause, Jamaica, N. Y.,,assi gnr ofone-half toBernard R. Peukert, Stapleton, N. Y.

Application November 20, 1946, Serial No. 711,086

I 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates generally to pocket wallets, and moreparticularly to means or attachments or inserts for such wallets, andaims to provide a novel attachment or'insert for wallets whereby theirsecurityfrom pickpockets is very substantially enhanced.

More particularly, it is a main object of the invention to provide aseparate insert which possesses resiliency so that, when inserted in thewallet and the wallet is folded to slip it into the pocket, theresilient insert urges the two flaps of the folded wallet to swing inmutually opposite directions in their own planes. As a result, thecorners of the two flaps dig into or press against the upright end wallsof the pocket thereby offering resistance and a check to the withdrawalof the wallet. Hence, if a pickpocket attempts to remove the wallet, itis inevitable that his unsuccessful pull on the wallet will arouse theowner so that the theft will be foiled.

The above and additional objects will become apparent in the followingdescription wherein characters of reference refer to like-numbered partsin the accompanying drawing. It is to be noted that the drawing isintended for the purpose of illustration only and that it is neitherdesired nor intended to limit the invention to any or all of thespecific details of construction shown excepting insofar as they may bedeemed essential to the invention.

Referring briefly to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side view of the wallet insert per se, with parts brokenaway and partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view of the wallet insert per se, showing the manner inwhich it is manipulated, when contained within the wallet, as the firststep in folding the wallet from the fully open or unfolded position tothe folded condition.

Fig. 5 is a View of the wallet insert per se, as it appears when in thewallet when the latter is in fully folded condition.

Fig. 6 is a side view of an open wallet, with the insert of theinvention mounted therein.

Fig. '7 is an edge view of the same, looking into the opening into thewallet.

Fig. 8 is a view of the wallet of Fig. 6 in fully folded condition priorto its insertion and release into the pocket.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view of a garment having a wallet pocket, withparts broken away to expose the interior of the pocket, illustrating theposition taken by the two flaps or wings of the wallet after insertioninto the pockets and released by the hand of the user.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral fit indicates a fiatbag or the like, made of a flexible fabric of any kind but preferablyprovided with a very smooth or glazed outer surf-ace such as, forinstance, an oiled cloth. The bag has one end open, which is adapted tobe closed by a flap II.

A spring wire l2, which is preferably of such material that it possessstrength and resiliency, such as, for instance, piano wire, and of alength sufficiently greater than the length of the bag It so that theWire may be arched substantially as shown in Fig. 1 when confined withinthe bag with the flap H in closed condition. To prevent damage to thefabric, each extremity of the wire I2 is provided with a smooth-surfacedball or the like l3.

The bag ill with the wire therein, may be readily bent or folded in themanner illustrated in Fig. 4, along the diagonal line I4, whence thewire I2 is twisted somewhat. Then the lower end l5 of the bag may berotated about the upper extremity of the diagonal it, that is, the pointIt, remaining the while substantially within the plane of the portionl5, into position of parallelism and juxtaposition with the upper endI1, shown in broken lines in Fig. 8. It is apparent that if the grip ofthe hand of the user is released from the bag shown in Fig. 5, andassuming that the bag of Fig. 5 is inserted into a compartment such as apocket of a suit of clothes wherein the opposed walls of the pocketserve as limit stops to separation of the two flaps l1 and I5 of thewallet in a hingle-like manner and the two end walls of the pocket serveas limit stops to the shearing movement of the two flaps l1 and I5 withrespect to each other, then the resiliency of the wire I2 will normallyurge the bag into the shape shown in Fig. 5.

If the bag as shown in Fig. 6 is inserted into the long compartment of awallet l9, that is, either the currency compartment or a similarcompartment next to the same, it is apparent that the bag with the wireit! therein will cause the wallet to behave, when folded and manipulatedas described in reference to the bag, in the same manner as described inreference to the bag. In other words, with the bag It in the wallet ill,the wallet is first folded along the line Ma, Fig. 6, to bring the lowerend 55a into the same position with respect to the upper end Ha as shownin Fig. 4 in the case of the ends I5 and I! of the bag. Then the twosections I50. and "a are swung mutually with respect to each other whileremaining mutually parallel, into juxtaposition as shown in Fig. 8. Thewallet is then inserted into the pocket 20 of the garment 2| either inthe position shown in Fig. 9, or in the reversed position, not shown. Ineither case the wire I2, not shown in Fig. 9, will both urge the twowallet flaps la and Ila outward in hingelike fashion against the opposedwalls 22 of the pocket 20, and simultaneously the outer corners 23 and24 of the flaps l5a and I'Ia, respectively, against the end walls 25 ofthe pocket. Thus, the wallet will have frictional engagement with thepocket walls and hence will offer substantial resistance to any effortto lift it from the pocket. If the wallet is inserted into the pocket 20in a position upside-down to that shown, then the corners 23 and 24would tend to press the pocket end walls 25 outward at the points ofcontact, as is obvious, making the wallet even more securely locked inthe pocket. It is of course a very simple matter for the owner to removehis own wallet, but no pickpocket could do so without arousing theowner.

Obviously, modifications in form and structure may be madewithoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

In combination with a conventional billfold having a lengthwise pockettherein and adapted to be folded about a center fold line, a safety 4attachment comprising a, closed, flat bag of approximately thedimensions of said pocket insertible into said pocket. said bag havingan arched resilient spring wire confined therein of a length greaterthan the length of the bag so that one of its two extremities registersin one end corner of the bag on one longitudinal side wall thereof andits other extremity frictionally engages the opposite end wall of thebag and the bulge of said arched spring wire engages the otherlongitudinal side wall of the bag, whereby when the billfold is foldedand inserted into a pocket its end portions are displaced both laterallyand toward open position, to eflect a multiple wedging action of thebillfold within the pocket.

ERICK KRAUSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 896,004 Gaskill Aug. 11, 19081,225,692 Willis May 8, 1917 1,404,278 Davis Jan. 24, 1922 1,446,293Gilmore Feb. 20, 1923 1,733,848 Yorde et al. Oct. 29, 1929 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 1,502 Switzerland Oct. 26, 1889

